Kissing The Herta's Earlobe

What is happening deep within the starry sea is like dropping a gravity bomb onto a calm lake.

A meticulously edited, crystal-clear video is circulating wildly across the encrypted networks of various powerful entities at a speed exceeding the speed of light.

Ultimately, and inevitably, it spread to the public sphere, causing a huge uproar!

These are turbulent times.

The atmosphere inside the entire Star Sea was tense.

The content of the video.

The Herta Space Station, a celestial structure that symbolizes the pinnacle of intellectual achievement of the Genius Society, a work of art in itself.

It has left its original star system and is now traveling in the cosmic dust belt.

Its destination coordinates were simultaneously locked by countless observation stations.

It is the highly anticipated star system, Jarilo-VI, Belobog!

What's even more striking is the perspective of the images.

It wasn't a long-distance observation, but rather an observation from inside the space station!

The footage shows the core control room of the space station, where countless complex instruments are operating in an orderly manner, and the one in charge of all of this is none other than the Genius Society member known for his wisdom and mystery the Herta!

She issued a brief command through the space station's external communication channel:

"Herta Space Station, changing preset coordinates. Final destination: Belobog airspace. Initiating the highest-level scientific collaboration agreement. Announcement complete."

There was no explanation, no reason.

But this brief announcement, coupled with the unmistakable trajectory of the space station, conveyed a message a thousand times more powerful than any elaborate declaration of war!

The Herta Space Station, and the Herta that it represents, which stands at the pinnacle of interstellar intelligence, have publicly announced that they are on the same side as Belobog and Lin Hai!

Simple support or material assistance wouldn't have elicited such a large reaction.

The entire Herta Space Station was moved, including its very foundation!

This means that the Herta has placed all of its accumulated knowledge, cutting-edge technology, and other resources onto Lin Hai!

The entire starry sea fell silent, then erupted into a massive uproar of discussion!

Belobog.

The moment the news reached them, the entire city fell into a deathly silence, then erupted in deafening cheers of joy!

People flooded the streets to celebrate.

They had long known that the relationship between the Herta and Lin Hai was unusual, but many people were unaware that the two were very close.

"Herta Space Station! The Herta Space Station has arrived!"

"Ms. Herta also supports Mr.!"

"Great! We've gained another huge asset!"

Lin Hai's strength, combined with the wisdom of the Herta, gave the people of Belobog a glimpse of the possibility of victory!

Penacony, Dream Hotel Headquarters:

Inside the luxurious conference room, the atmosphere was so tense it was almost palpable. Representatives from several prominent the Families were arguing incessantly.

"They've gone mad! The Herta has gone mad too! The entire Star Sea is going mad!" An old man pounded on the table.

"It might not be a bad thing!" another, relatively younger representative countered. "Lin Hai's demonstrated strength is beyond human capability. The Herta's decision may well be a reflection of foresight regarding future trends! We should reassess our relationship with Belobog, and perhaps even... consider providing more support!"

"Support? Go against the company? Do you want to turn Penacony into ruins?"

"The company was the one that started this aggressive behavior! Now that the situation has reversed, clinging to old ideas is a recipe for disaster!"

Faced with tremendous changes, the leadership of the dreamland has fallen into an unprecedented state of division and infighting.

Xianzhou Alliance, Luofu Seat of Divine Foresight.

Jing Yuan watched the video without expression. Below, the Belobog faction, led by Fu Xuan, and some conservative factions of the Cloud Knights were already arguing heatedly.

"General! The Herta's actions will undoubtedly enrage the company! The flames of war will surely spread! Our Xianzhou's alliance with Belobog was already risky, and now we are getting involved in the Herta's conflict, which may lead to our downfall! We should sever ties immediately!" A seasoned and prudent official said with great distress.

Fu Xuan snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd:

"Severance? How can we sever ties? Haven't you all seen through the power of the Lin Hai? Would the wisdom of the Herta do something without certainty? Severance now is not only betrayal, but also cutting ourselves off from the future! Only by firmly standing on the side of the strong can the Xianzhou survive this upheaval, and even advance further!"

"Fu Xuan, you are mistaken! How can the millennia-old foundation of our Xianzhou be entrusted to the whims of one person?"

"A foundation that lasts for ten thousand years? If we can't even overcome the calamity before us, how can we talk about ten thousand years?"

The sounds of arguing echoed within the solemn and imposing Seat of Divine Foresight. Jing Yuan tapped his knuckles lightly on the armrest, his gaze deep and unfathomable, his thoughts unreadable.

Interastral Peace Corporation, Supreme Strategic Command.

A deathly silence.

After the video ended, every director at the huge circular conference table looked extremely grim.

"Bang!" A hot-tempered military-affiliated director smashed his glass, growling, "Herta! How dare she! This is the most utter betrayal and provocation against our company! It must be dealt a devastating blow! Along with that damned Belobog!"

"Attack? With what can we attack?" Another director in charge of finance asked hoarsely. "Our main fleet is still on its way, and our core defense star system cannot be touched! Is the Herta Space Station's defense system a joke? Is Lin Hai's strength an illusion? Fighting on two fronts? No, we're facing a near-godlike monster and a pinnacle of wisdom simultaneously! This is suicide!"

"Are we just going to stand by and watch them unite and sign a treaty?" another man growled unwillingly.

"Perhaps... a temporary retreat could buy time to reassess and find... weaknesses?" a faint voice suggested, indicating a wavering among some of the higher-ups.

The company, this massive war machine, is also showing cracks inside.

The conflict between the pro-war and pro-peace factions became almost public.

Amidst the upheaval and fierce power struggles among various factions, where everyone was gripped by fear...

The observation deck next to the core control room of the Herta Space Station:

This place seems to be a different world from the hustle and bustle outside.

Outside the huge, arched floor-to-ceiling windows lies a magnificent and boundless sea of stars.

In the distance, the frozen planet Jarilo-VI was already in sight.

The room was warm and cozy, with a faint aroma of tea in the air—a unique scent that belonged to the space station.

Lin Hai leaned back in a soft chair, holding a steaming cup of tea, admiring the starry sky and vast ocean outside the window, as if the raging waves that had been stirred up by him had nothing to do with him.

The Herta sat sideways on the armrest of the chair in front of him, nestled in his arms, its back against his chest.

She held a tablet in her hand, her fingertips swiping as she analyzed various data related to the space station's geostationary orbit insertion.

Lin Hai had one arm around her waist and the other holding a teacup. Every now and then, he would lower his head and place a gentle kiss on the top of her fragrant hair.

Or, he would put down his teacup, and with his free hand, reach down to her calf and fondle her smooth, delicate skin.

The Herta seemed used to this, only occasionally twisting its body slightly and letting out a disgruntled groan when the big black tower moved a little too much, or gently nudging the big black tower with the elbow holding the tablet to protest.

"Data synchronization rate 98.7%, Belobog surface beacon successfully captured, orbit calibration complete..."

Lin Hai chuckled softly, but instead of restraining himself, he went even further, lowering his head and taking her delicate, fair earlobe into his mouth.

"Hmm..."

The Herta's body trembled violently, interrupting the rhythm of the data analysis.

She finally turned her head and glared at him, but there was little anger in her eyes; instead, there was a hint of indulgence.

"Stop messing around... it's the final stage."

"You go about your business," Lin Hai mumbled, but showed no intention of letting go; instead, he pulled her even tighter.

The Herta rolled its eyes at him, seemingly too lazy to argue with him, and turned its attention back to the screen.